The Versatile Machete

Machetes are everywhere in Belize. If you drive down the road on any given day you’ll see at least half a dozen guys whacking away at grass, weeds, or what have you with a machete. You can buy one at the grocery store in the back in the housewares section. But unfortunately, landscaping is not the only thing they’re used for. I know of at least one attack on American personnel in the last few months with a machete. And then this came out in the Belize news on Friday (the 13th…coincidence?)…

Woman mugged on Belmopan sidewalk

Belmopan police are investigating an incident where a woman was held up with a machete. The incident occurred sometime around 7:30pm on Wednesday January 11 on a walkway that joins Mayflower and Sapodilla Street. The victim, 42 year old Noelia Griffin, reported to police that she was walking home, when she heard noise coming from nearby bushes. The assailant, described as a dark complexion male person, yielding a machete and wearing a mask to cover his face then approached her demanding her belongings. We spoke with Griffin’s daughter Kimberly Griffin, who told us that this is not the first time her mother has been robbed.

Kimberly Griffin. Daughter of Robbery Victim.

She was walking on the sidewalk and a masked man came out and told her to give him her cell phone and she gave it to him. He then asked her for her purse and she took a little while to give it to him, so he put the machete to her neck and then she gave it to him. She then ran to a nearby house to try to ask for help and the man just walked on the sidewalk like nothing was happening, because no one was on the sidewalk, so he just walked away. The mask was like a wave cap and it was covering his entire face. She had her bank card and about $75.00 and receipts and stuff that she usually keeps in there. She has been robbed before, but it’s the first time that they have used a weapon against her, so she is a little bit nervous and scared when she passes down the sidewalk.